Rudder-control mechanism



Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,223 E. G. MCCAULEY ET AL RUDER CONTROL MECHAN I SM Filed DBG. 10. 1923 /N VEA/TOR W TTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1925'.

UNITED; sTA'rlszs` PATENT oFFlCE.

ERNEST G. MccAULEY, `or DAYTON, o-HIo, AND ARTHURVR. SMITH, or FORTWAYNE,

INDIANA. n l

d( i l. RUBBER-CONTROL MECHANISM.

Application filed December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,818.

To all whom it concern: 1 I

Be it known'that ERNEST G. MCCAULEY and ARTHUR R. SMITH, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Dayton and Fortl Wayne, respectively, in thecounties of Montgomery and Allen and States of Ohio .and Indiana,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rudder-ControlMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a control mechanism, and more `particularly toa rudder control bar operated by the feet of the pilot to control oradjust the rudder of an aircraft. Y

One object of this invention is to provide a flexible arrangementwhereby the rudder bar may be adjusted so as to beresiliently held in apredetermined position with means being provided to adjust this positionwhile in flight. l n

A second object is to provide a construction Vof this character with ameans for quickly changing the predetermined position so that thekrudderbar may be roughly adjusted to maintain any desired changes.

A further object is to provide a construction as just set forth with afurther means adapted to be operated by the pilots foot for making lineadjustments ofthe rudder bar so that the desired. course ofthe aircraft,may be exactly maintained.

By the construction as. will be more fully set forth, a rudder controlmechanism is provided which may be adjusted to counteract the turningand twisting effect on'the aircraft due to the propeller having atendency to cause the aircraft to move in the opposite direction towhich the propeller is revolving or rotating. In adition tocounteracting the propeller torque, the effect of the wind or airresistance against the same may be compensated for. It will therefore beseenthat the resilient connectionl may be adjusted so that the rudderbar is resiliently maintained in a predetermined position so that adesired compass course may be maintained in flying from one destinationto another. V e k Further objects vwill be more fully set forthin theaccompanyingl description and claims, and in the dr'awings,`.in which:

Fig. l, is a top plan view .of the rudder bar control assembly. Y A

Fig. 2 is a view'in vertical longitudinal section of the same taken online 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of Fig. 1 taken on line 3 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a rudder bar 1 adapted tobe operated by the pilots'feet is mounted free to rotate on a verticalpivot pin 2 by means of a bracketconnection 3 which is secured to therudder bar by welding or other suitable methods of construction.Integral with the rudder bar l is an eye bracket l mountedy at each endof the rudder bar to provide means for the connection of cables 5extendifng rearwardly to the rudder control surace,

Stirrups 6 are provided in order to enablel the rudder bar to beoperated by pushing or pulling by one foot lif necessary and likewise toprevent the pilots foot from slipping off the end of the rudder bar. Abase or support 7 is provided upon which the rudder assembly ismounted.This support serves as a mounting for Athe pivot pin' 2 by means of aflange bearing 8 attached to the 4support by rivets 9. The pivot pin 2is freeto slidefvertically or to 1 rotate within the bearing 8'. The,supportI .7 .is adapted to be mounted in any suitable manner within thepilots Acockpit in the aircraft. j Upon the upper end of the pin 2 is athreaded portion adapted to receive a nut 10 tov retain the bracket 3 inplace. Pivot pin 2 is provided with'a shoulder 11 constructed integraltherewith. `A member 12 is attached to each side of the rudder bar andforms a connection for a spring 13y attached thereto at one end, theother end of which is connected to an adjustable member 14 which 'is'pivotally mounted upon the pin 2 between the shoulderll on the pin 2 andthe bracket connection 3. This adjustable memberlt is provided with abifurcated consisting of legs 15 and 16.

A frame member 17 is also mounted upon the pivot pinv 2 so as tonormally rotate thereon between the shoulder 11 and the support?. Thisframe member is likewise provided, with a plurality of legs 18 and" 19between which is mounted a threaded member V20, theends of the member 2Obeing pinned or otherwise secured to the legs18 portion and 19,.VrMounted Iupon vthis threadd mem' ber 2O isI a Wheel 21 havinginternalthreads adapted to engage with the threads on ythe member 20.This Wheel 21 is provided with a roughened exterior surface which maytake the fform `as shown' in Fig.' 3 so that it may be rotated by apau/ing motion of the operabout? the 'anis of the'pivot 2'.v Plates 22are attached to the adjustment Wheel 21 on each side thereofto provideagainst Wear on :the legs 15 and 16 of lmember 14.

A foot"le`ve123 `is pivotally connected to the' pivot pin V2 by: niea'nsofa clevis'pin 2lb andthe end of thisfoot lever 23 is provided with a"bifurcated portion yproviding cam surfaces 25VV and 26 'adapted 'to'b'ear against thelld'iver portieri ofthe flange bearing 8 so that whenythele'ver 23 is pressed do'ivniv'ardlyb'y the foot oftheoperator, thecam surfaces 25 and -26bearing against thelange `8 cause a downwardmovement of the pivot portl 7 pin' 2. This downward motion of the pivotpin 2 causes the shoulder or flange 11 on' the pinto clamp the framemember 17 tightly agair'is't'A the uppe'r surface of the' sup'-y so asto looli` this supported inl fixed position. The footllev'er 23 may befVreleased at any timev by` an' upvvard movement ofthe saine so'as 4topermit-'free rotation of the,` Yframe men'iber 17 about thepivo't'pi'nV2. *A j VVhen it 'is 'desired t`o` set' the' rudder bar soastb`eresilient-ly maintained `inthe desired position, thev bar is'ope'ratediby4 the pilots yfootQuntil the correct course is fol`l jlowedy byv the aircraft.'r Theffoot lever' 23 is then pressed downbyth'e'pilots foot-.so that the frame member 17 is held lined. Such 'anVoperation also lines the position o'f theadjustab'le member 14" asvthis member cannot rotateab'out the pivot pinduey to the pjosition'ofthe legs 15 and 1G ivhic'l'i straddle the adjustment' Wheel '21.' Thesprings 13 interconnecting the rudder barand the adjustablemember 14ivill th'erefore'imiin tain theV rudde'rbar resiliently' in" its ad;justed position,- by permitting movement of the same againstl thetensionA of these springs at any time.q After'adjustmentf of theframemember 17, if the airplane slighti 1y. deviatesjfromits desired course,a' line adjustment of the position of the rudder bar maybe made by apawing motion of the operators foot so as l,toy rotate the Wheel 21 inorder tofcause a slight"rotationy ofthe adjustable member 14: aboutIthefpivot pin 2,1.theframe member` being `maintained clampedagainst thesupport in fiXedposi tion.

Itvwill be seen that the adjustable'melni ber 14 and frame member 17together constitute a frame; which is adjustably mounted on the pivotpin foradjusting the normal position of the rudder bar to anypredetermined position and for resiliently holding'the rudder bar insuch predetermined position after adjustment. It will be understoodvthat it" is not necessary to have the adjustable frame formed in twoparts or to have both-a tine andf-a coarse adjustment for resilientlylocking the rudder bar in a predetermined position.' It is not,-intended that'our invention should be limited to the exact constructionshown, but that the scope of our invention :should bei considered assetforth in the following claims.`

Having thus Vdescribed ourinventiom'ave claim 1. In a rudder controlineclrai'iisin,l asupport, a rudder bar ypivoted on said support,-y amember pivoted on said support, resili ent means urging saidr bar toa!predetermined position Jin'relation tok said member,l and means forloclring'said member against pivotal movement on said support;

2. in a rudder control mechanism, a sup#A port, a rudder barpivotedon"said support, a' frame niemberpivoted" on said support,- re" silientmeans urging said' bar to a predeterL mined positioniirrelfttion'toAvsaidY frame member,` means for lock-ing said framemember againstpivotal movementon said'isupport,`an'd means for,adjustingt'the relationbetween thebar and theframe `member.

3. ln a"rudder control imeclianism, a liked support, arudderbar pivotedVonsaidsup# p o'rt, a frame adjustably mountedv onsaid support',resilient meansj'urging saidrudder bar to a predeterminedlpositionin'r'elation to saidfraine, and threaded means forad-v j usting therelation between the bar and the franie.` j

f1. ln an aircraft ruddr control'meclranism', in combination, asup'port,a pivotally mounted rudder bar; a pivo't'pin for said bar mounted inthesupport; me'an's for 'resilientlj7 holding saidfb'ar against pivotalmovenieiit, and 'foot operated mechanism for adj ustingsaidla's't-nai'ned' tmeans.'

5. ln' anaircraft rudder controlmechanism, a' combination of apivotallymounted rudder bar, a support, a'pivotpiirforsaid bar mounted insaid'support, a frame' ad` j ust-ably mounted on said-'pin and connectedto4 said rudde1"'ba'r', and 'means for adjusting' said f pinlongitudinally to clamp thel 'frame and 'support together; j j

6. In an aircraftY ruddercontrolmechanis'ni, a combinationofa pivotallymo'unted rudder bar, a support, a pivot pin for vsaid bar mounted'insaid support, a frame' adjustably mounted onsaid pin, andresilii ently'connected 'to said rudder bar and lcam means for adjusting said`pinto'clamp the frame and support togetherj i 7. In an aircraft controlmechanism, a

y combination of a pivotally mounted rudder bar, a support, a pivot pinfor said bar mounted on said support, a frame adjustably mounted on saidpin, resilient connection between said frame and said bar, means foradjusting said pin longitudinally to clamp the frame and supporttogether and 'foot-operated means to adjust the said resilientconnection. v y

8. In a rudder control mechanism for aircraft, a rudder bar, a support,a pivot pin for said rudder bar mounted on said support, a frameadjustably mounted on said pivot pin, means for locking said frame tosaid support, a member mounted on said pivot pin, resilient meansconnecting said member to said rudder bar, and an adjustable connectionbetween said member and said frame. i

9. In a rudder control mechanism for aircraft, a rudder bar, a support,a pivot pin for said rudder bar mounted on said support, a frameadjustably mounted on said pivot pin, ay foot-operated lever forclampingsaid frame to said support, a member pivotally mounted on saidpivotl pin, a

spring connecting each side of said rudder bar to said member and aWheel adapted to be turned by the operators foot to cause small relativemovements of said bar in relation to said frame.

l0. In an aircraft rudder control mechanism, the combination of apivotally mounted rudder bar, a pivot pin for said rudder bar movablelongitudinally, means' for resiliently holding the rudder bai` againstpivotal movement, and manually operable means for moving said pivot pinlongitudinally for the purpose described.

Il. In a steering mechanism for aircraft, a foot-operated control bar,resilient means for yieldingly holding said bar in a predeterminedposition and means manually operable While in flight to quickly lock andunlock said resilient means to quickly render said resilient meanseffective and ineffective on said control bar.

In testimony whereof We aiiiX our signatures.

ERNEST G. MCCAULEY. ARTHUR R. SMITH.

